Paper roll dispenser



Sept. 27, 1966 R. A. WOOD PAPER ROLL DISPENSER Filed June 15, 1965 INVENTOR: RUBY A. WOOD ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,275,133 PAPER ROLL DISPENSER Ruby A. Wood, .1786 Opal Ave., Charleston, S.C. Filed June 15, 1965, Ser. No. 464,158 3 Claims. (Cl. 20656) This invention relates to dispensers and more particularly to a dispenser for paper rolls such as rolls of bathroom tissue.

A common household problemis the replacement of exhausted rolls of bathroom tissue when needed. Frequently such bathroom tissue rolls are used up quickly and unexpectedly so that it is frequently necessary to conduct a time-consuming and inconvenient search for a replacement roll occasionally without success due primarily to the failure of the user to replenish an exhausted stock of such rolls. There is a definite need to have replacement rolls readily available and results to date have culminated in such expensive arrangements as the use of double roll holders and other constructions which have failed to provide a good solution to this basic household problem. Furthermore, even when extra rolls are available in the household, they are located in some remote storage area as locating such rolls at the place of use not only is unattractive but subject to damage by water and the like or even loss.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a new and novel dispenser for a plurality of rolls of bathroom tissue which may be positioned in any suitable location in a bathroom to provide for ready replacement of exhausted rolls. 7

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and novel dispenser for a plurality of rolls of bathroom tissue which is simple and inexpensive in construction, which may be readily molded in its entirety from inexpensive materials such as plastic and from which replacement rolls of bathroom tissue may be readily with drawn.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and novel dispenser for rolls of bathroom tissue which does not require securing to a wall or the like and which may be positioned in any selected location on a :bathroom floor in an upright manner to provide not only an attractive appearance but to completely conceal and protect the rolls of tissue which it contains.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In general, the objects of the invention and related objects are accomplished by providing a tubular housing in which is received a removable insert supported in telescoping relationship within the housing. The insert comprises a top and bottom member interconnected by a pair of spaced side strips and the bottom member is arranged to support a plurality of rolls of bathroom tissue in vertically stacked relationship which are retained between the side strips. In use, the rolls of bathroom tissue may be individually removed from between the side strips when the insert is withdrawn from the housing.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the paper roll dispenser of the invention illustrating its two main parts in a separated condition;

FIGURE 2 is another perspective view of the inven- Patented Sept. 27, 1966 ICC tion illustrating .the parts of FIGURE 1 assembled for use;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 3- 3 of FIGURE 2 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 44 of FIGURE 3 in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown in FIG- URE 2 a dispenser constructed in accordance with the invention and designated generally by the letter D. The dispenser D of FIGURE 2 may be formed of any suitable material but preferably is constructed from an inexpensive material such as plastic or the like.

Turning now to FIGURE 1, the dispenser D includes a tubular housing designated generally by the numeral 11 and an insert designated generally by the numeral 12 for supporting a plurality of rolls of paper such as bathroom tissue 13 in a vertically-stacked relationship. The tubular housing 11 comprises a side wall 14 closed at one end by a bottom wall 16. The other end of the tubular housing 11 is open at 17 to receive the insert 12 in telescoping rclationship as shown in FIGURES 2, 3.

The insert 12 includes a top and bot-tom member which in the illustrated embodiment are in the form of circular discs 18, 19. The discs -18, 19 are interconnected by means of a pair of side strips 21, 22 secured to the discs 18, 19 in any suitable manner such as by adhesives or the like. The bottom disc 19 is arranged to support a plurality of rolls of bathroom tissue 13 in vertically stacked relationship as shown and the side strips 21, 22 are diametrically opposed in spaced apart relationship corresponding to the outer diameter of the rolls of tissue 13. In the preferred embodiment, the side strips 21, 22 are arcuately shaped in cross section so as to lie fiushwi-th the outer surface of the tissue rolls 13.

Means are provided for supporting the insert 12 within the tubular housing 11. More specifically, the top disc 18 has a marginal edge 18a which engages the upper edge 14a of the tubular housing side wall 14 as shown best in FIGURE 3. Thus, when the insert 12 is inserted within the housing 11, the insert 12 is supported as shown within the housing with the bottom disc 19 adjacent the housing bottom wall 16. A suitable handle such as a knob 23 is secured centrally to the top disc 18 by means of which the insert may be readily withdrawn from and reinserted within the tubular housing 11.

In the use of the dispenser D of the invention, a plurality of rolls 13 of bathroom tissue are positioned within the insert 12 as shown in the drawing. Although the length of the dispenser D may be of any selected length to accommodate any selected number of paper rolls, in the illustrated embodiment, the length of the dispenser D is such as to accommodate four rolls 13. The arcuate shape of the side strips 21, 22 and their diametrical spacing which corresponds to the diameter of a roll 13 is such as to permit the soft yieldable tissue rolls 13 to be snapped between the strips in supported engagement with the bottom disc 19. Thus the side strips 21, 22 retain the rolls 13 within the insert 12 in the vertically stacked relationship and the insert 12 may then be inserted within the tubular housing 11 to occupy the position shown in FIGURES 2, 3.

When a replacement roll of bathroom tissue is needed by the user, the insert 12 is withdrawn by grasping the handle 23 and elevating the insert so as to expose the top roll 13. When this roll is exposed, it may be easily pushed out of retaining engagement from between the side strips 21, 22 due to the yieldable nature of the. roll and the insert once again reinserted within the housing 11. This operation is repeated for each roll needed by withdrawing the insert 12 the appropriate distance until the rolls are exhausted.

It can be seen that with the novel construction of this invention, a dispensing container has been provided for bathroom tissue which not only is inexpensive and simple in construction but which may be readily molded from attractive plastic material. Not only does this dispenser conceal and protect a plurality of tissue rolls in, a neat and attractive manner, but the dispenser may be positioned at'any selected location within a' bathroom for ready access when replacement rolls are needed. The dispenser may be arranged to support any desired number of rolls which areretained securely for ready access but eachroll may be individually removed in a simple and easy manner without disturbing the remaining rolls in the dispenser. Furthermore, the capacity, of the dis penser is such that only infrequent replacement of a supplyof rolls is needed making it less likely that the.

user will be without rolls when need and the, form in which such tissue rolls are commercially marketed make the dispenser of the invention particularly adaptable to accommodating such rolls.

While there has been described what at present is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is the aim of the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention. 7

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed a tubular housing having an upper edge, an insert for supporting a plurality of paper rolls receivable within 'said housing in telescoping relationship therewith, said'insert 1.Apaper roll dispenser comprising, in combination,

outer surface of said rolls, a handleon .saidtop disc, said top disc having a diameter greater than the diameter of said housing to thereby engage the upper. edge'of said tubular housing and snpportsaid insert in said housing, said bottom disc being arranged to support said plurality of rolls in vertically stacked relationship in yieldable. retaining engagement between said side strips to permitsaid rolls to be. inserted and individually removed in a snap fitting operation when said insert is withdrawn from said housing.

2. A paper roll dispenser comprising, in combination, a tubular housing having an upper edge, an insert for supporting a plurality of paper rolls receivable. within 7 said housing in telescoping relationship therewith, means I la-tionship corresponding to the diameter of 'SflidlOHS,

comprising a top and bottom circular disc and a pair of a rigid side strips interconnecting said top and bottom discs, said bottom disc corresponding substantially in diameter 7 to the outer. diameter of said rolls, said side strips arranged in diametrically opposed relationship and having an arcuate'cross sectional. shape corresponding to the for. supportingsaid insert in said housing, said insert comprising a top and bottom member, a pair of rigid side s-tripsinterconnecting said top and bottom members and arranged in a diametricallyopposed, spaced apart re+ said side strips having an arcuate cross sectional. shape corresponding to the .outer surface of said rolls, said bottom member being arranged to support a plurality of rolls in vertically stacked relationship and in. yieldable retaining engagement between said side strips to permit said rolls to be individually inserted and removed in a snap fitting operation when said insert'is withdrawn from said housing.

3. A paper rolldispenser in accordance with claim 2 including a marginal edge on'said top member engageable with the upper edge of said tubular housing for supporting said insert in said housing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS THERON E. coNDoN, Primary Examiner. W. T. DD(SON, Assistant Examiner.

Campbell 217-64 

2. A PAPER ROLL DISPENSER COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A TUBULAR HOUSING HAVING AN UPPER EDGE, AN INSERT FOR SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF PAPER ROLLS RECEIVABLE WITHIN SAID HOUSING IN TELESCOPING RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID INSERT IN SAID HOUSING, SAID INSERT COMPRISING A TOP AND BOTTOM MEMBER, A PAIR OF RIGID SIDE STRIPS INTERCONNECTING SAID TOP AND BOTTOM MEMBERS AND ARRANGED IN A DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED, SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP CORRESPONDING TO THE DIAMTER OF SAID ROLLS, SAID SIDE STRIPS HAVING AN ARCUATE CROSS SECTIONAL SHAPE CORRESPONDING TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID ROLLS, SAID BOTTOM MEMBER BEING ARRANGED TO SUPPORT A PLURALITY OF ROLLS IN VERTICALLY STACKED RELATIONSHIP AND IN YIELDABLE RETAINING ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID SIDE STRIPS TO PERMIT SAID ROLLS TO BE INDIVIDUALLY INSERTED AND REMOVED IN 